Checkup shows Cheney's health 'very good'

Spokesman: Vice president's pacemaker detected no arrhythmia

From Dana BashCNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Doctors gave Vice President Dick Cheney a clean bill of health Tuesday at his annual heart checkup and found that his pacemaker had detected no irregular heartbeat, a spokesman said.

"The vice president was told the news was very good. The doctor informed him that the device neither detected nor treated any arrhythmia," Cheney spokesman Kevin Kellems said.

Cheney, who has had four heart attacks, had a pacemaker implanted in June 2001.

During the visit to George Washington University Medical Center, the vice president underwent an EKG, and echocardiogram, a stress test, a regular physical and a check of his pacemaker.

Cheney's pacemaker -- called an implantable cardioverter defibrillator -- is designed to activate when it detects an irregular heartbeat.

The tests showed that the vice president's ICD was never activated.

Cheney returned to the White House after his checkup and resumed his regular schedule.